Drang naar Samenhang

This blog will feature posts in Dutch—but no worries, English speakers, I’ve got you covered too. Today marks the launch of my Substack newsletter Craving Coherence : https://rolfzwaan.substack.com . You don’t need to subscribe to read the posts—just hit “No thanks” if prompted. Of course, I’d really appreciate it if you do sign up. It’s completely free! So what is the newsletter about?  Why do we search for patterns, craft narratives, and cling to meaning? Craving Coherence explores the psychology of understanding—the mental shortcuts, biases, and frameworks that shape how we interpret reality. From cognitive science to philosophy, this newsletter examines how our minds construct coherence in an often chaotic world—and what happens when they fail. I hope to see you there!

A colleague, Akira Miyake, asked if there was an English language transcript of our latest podcast episode on self control. He thought more people might be interested in this transcript, so I decided to put it on my blog. While the transcription and translation are pretty good, they're not perfect. Nevertheless, you get a good idea of what Anita and I were talking about. (For those of you who do understand Dutch, see the podcast player on the right.) To set the scene, Imagine a couple, who both happen to be psychologists, sitting at the kitchen table and talking about psychology.... Intro music written and played by Rolf <Rolf>This is Compulsion for Coherence, the podcast about the psychology of understanding. <Rolf>My name is Rolf Zwaan. <Anita>And I am Anita Eerland. <Anita>Yes, January is coming to an end and many people have started the new year with good intentions. <Anita>And when the first month is over, people quickly fall back into old pattern...